Siege of Bylazora (254 BC)

The siege of Bylazora was a major battle of the Roman-Macedonian Wars, taking place in 254 BC near what is now the municipality of Sveti Nikole in Macedonia. The Roman legion of Lucius Julius marched into Macedonia from the north after conquering Illyria, and the legion laid siege to the major city of Bylazora; the Macedonian garrison was reinforced by an additional army, but the Romans defeated both armies in battle and proceeded to enslave the population.

Background
The Roman Republic flexed its military muscles by conquering nearby regions beginning with northern Italy in 270 BC, and the Roman Senate issued orders for its generals to invade Macedonia, a growing kingdom in the Balkans. The leftovers from Alexander the Great's empire, the Macedonians were not as strong as they used to be, and they were constantly in conflict with the other successor kingdoms, the Seleucid Empire of Syria and the Ptolemaic Empire of Egypt. While the House of Brutii was besieging southern Greece, the House of Julii was consolidating its gains in the northern Balkans. In 256 BC, legate Lucius Julius was dispatched to besiege Bylazora with an army of 594 troops; he faced a garrison of Macedonian troops and reinforcements, totaling 655 troops under Deukalos, Abreas the Mad, and Euenus.

Battle
The Macedonian army was on the offensive, and the Romans positioned a line of hastati before a smaller line of velites; cavalry was located on the right flank of the Roman force. Lucius Julius made a plan to massacre the phalangists from behind, as their strategy of all facing in the same direction left them defenseless from three sides. The Macedonian phalanxes took a while to march into battle with the Romans, and the wide Roman line was not completely engaged; the Roman cavalry were free to charge around the Macedonian lines and target their light infantry and archers. Meanwhile, the Macedonian cavalry attempted to join the fight, but Roman triarii spearmen repelled them with heavy losses. This enabled the Roman right flank, no longer threatened by Companion Cavalry, to wheel left and crush the Macedonian phalangists, who were struggling in battle with the hastati. The Roman cavalry chased down the Macedonian generals, slaying Abreas and Euenus, and the Macedonian infantry were routed. The battle was an astounding Roman triumph, and the Romans successfully assaulted and captured the weakened city that winter. 2,177 Macedonians were enslaved and sent across the empire, and Bylazora - the bastion of Macedonian security in the north - crumbled before the Roman onslaught.